Click here for dates and times of our main picnic, Pittsburgh picnic and Virginia picnic.

On Saturday, May 12, as many families prepare for the more "traditional" Mother's Day celebration, families touched by adoption prepare for the lesser known Birthmother's Day. Founded in 1990 by a group of Seattle, WA birthmothers, Birthmother's Day aims to not only educate, but more importantly honor and remember those mothers who created a life plan for their child.

Birthmother's Day can be an extremely personal holiday. Many families with younger children light a candle in honor of the birthmother that gave them the greatest gift possible, the gift of life, before sitting down to a family meal. As the children get older, adoptive parents share the pictures and letters provided by their birthother with their children. Michaelina Bendig, an AFTH Adoption Consultant and Adoptive Parent says, "We always spoke positively about the affection we have for them [the children's birthmothers] and the positive influence they've had on our lives." Between sharing pictures and letters, the Bendig's Birthmother Day celebration naturally progresses into an open discussion on adoption. "We always wanted to bring the children's adoption to the forefront and talk about the gift their birthparents gave us; them".

Over the years many families have begun to infuse tradition into this non-traditional holiday. Celebrations of Birthmother’s Day range from families cooperatively writing letters to their birthmother, updating her on recent accomplishments and milestones in the children's lives, to smaller, more personal gestures such as reading and writing poems, or sending a card.

Each May, Adoptions From The Heart looks forward to honoring and supporting the women who have been instrumental in building families. If you or your family has a special celebration or household tradition and you would like to share your story, email KristyG@afth.org.

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Angelina Jolie's Vietnam Adoption

The adoption of a child should always be a celebrated and happy time for a family. Unfortunately for celebrities who adopt, this is not always the case. Plagued by rumors and paparazzi their adoptions are often filled with security concerns, bad press and chances for exploitation. As many of you have read Angelina Jolie recently chose AFTH to facilitate the adoption of her new son Pax Thien Jolie. While we issued a press release trying to clear up any misconceptions regarding her adoption there is still talk of special treatment. We would like to once again express that Ms. Jolies adoption followed all the steps and procedures that all families paperwork took. She was very insistant upon going through the process just as everyone else does. She was a pleasure to work with and had all the same concerns, questions and anxieties as all adoptive families as they wait for signing dates and worry over bonding with their new child. We wish the Jolie-Pitt family well with their newest adoption.

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Legislation

Oklahoma - The state of Oklahoma is appealing a judge's May 2006 decision deeming the Adoption Invalidation Law unconstitutional. Under the law, passed in 2004, same-sex parents with legally adopted children lost their parental status while in Oklahoma - even if just passing through.

Fewer Inter-country Adoptions in 2006 - In 2006, 20,679 children were adopted abroad by US parents - a drop from the 22,728 total in 2005.

Foster adoptions save government money - For each dollar spent by child welfare services to place and finalize the adoption of a child from foster care, the US government saves an average of $3, reports the Department of Economics at American University.

An adoptee is 23 percent more likely than a child in foster care to complete high school, and twice as likely to pursue schooling beyond high school. These factors contribute to a 37 percent increase, on average, in an adult adoptee's earnings.

Open Records Victory in New Jersey - The New Jersey Senate has approved legislation to give adopted adults access to their original birth certificates.

Adoption and Safe Families Act - A recent study looked at 16,000 placements over a six-year period in Illinois and found that the risk of disruption dropped by 11 percent after ASFA went into effect. Higher disruption risks were associated with non- relative placements, older or disabled children, and placements handled by inexperienced social workers.

Inter-Country Adoption Goes Digital - USCIS, has selected inter-country adoption processing to introduce a centralized electronic records system. Electronic processing is expected to improve the consistency, quality and timeliness of information available to adoption professionals and USCIS officials.

The change to online case will eliminate the need for parents to re-file paperwork if they move during the adoption process, or to resubmit birth or marriage certificates for subsequent adoptions. No timeline for the project has been announced.

Transracial Adoption Still Not Universally Accepted - A new national analysis of foster and adoptive placements found that African-American children would benefit from more stringent enforcement of the Multiethnic Placement Act of 1994 (MEPA) and other anti- discrimination laws designed to prevent children from lingering in foster care while awaiting same-race placement. MEPA prohibits racial matching as the primary placement criterion, but states continue to violate this law (Ohio was fined in 2003; South Carolina in 2005).

CIS fee Increase - CIS is looking to increase their fees. The proposed increase for the I-600A and I-600 will be from $545 to $670 and the N-600 fro $255 to $460. There are other proposed increased increases listed in the Federal register. Adoptions From The Heart wrote to protest these fee increases as did many other agencies. The deadline has now passed for comment and we do not know, at this time, what the result will be.

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Charitable Works

Help Needed for an AFTH Family - The Adoptions From The Heart community is lending its strength and support to a very special little girl, Tori. At only 9 months, when most babies are beginning to crawl, Tori began fighting for her life after being diagnosed with a rare and aggressive brain tumor. Since being diagnosed, Tori has undergone surgery to remove a substantial amount of the tumor, and has been receiving Chemotherapy in hopes of being one of the 2% of people successful against this debilitating disease.

Tori’s medical bills have put a financial strain on the family. Adding to the financial burden, her mother lost her job when she refused to leave her daughter’s side at the hospital after she exhausted the time allotted to her by the Family Medical Leave Act. In January to help reduce the financial impact on the adoptive family, AFTH began selling hope in the form of a bracelet. Almost $2000 has already been raised in bracelet sales and donations and additional donations will help to make a larger dent in Tori’s overwhelming medical bills. If you would like to purchase a red thread bracelet made of glass beads, contact our Lancaster office by phone at (717) 399-7766. Bracelets are $25.00 each, and all proceeds directly benefit Tori and her family during this critical time.

As always, we will also accept donations of any size, which can be made, payable by check to: Adoptions From The Heart, 30-31 Hampstead Circle, Wynnewood, PA 19096. In the memo field, please note: Tori Fund. Donations are also being accepted online - please check that you want your gift to be used toward a special project and fill in Tori Fund in the box. We want to thank you on behalf of Tori's family for giving as generously as you can.

Vietnam - AFTH has continued its commitment to support Vietnamese orphanages with contributions since January totaling $15,000. The money will help ease the burden of daily expenses including food, clothing, educational materials and medical supplies. In addition, AFTHprovided the Tam Binh, Picasso, and Thi Nghe orphanages with $4000 towards their annual Tet celebration.

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MySpace reunites Sisters

AFTH tries to provide education to adopting families about the importance of being open with their children about their adoption and birthparents. Since 99% of our families enter into semi or totally open adoptions, they are well aware that their children will be asking questions. I wanted to share a story with you that reflects how the internet has now made it possible for “anyone to find anyone.”

The names in this story have been changes to protect the privacy of the family. Mr and Mrs. Smith adopted a little girl, Abby (A), and agreed to the exchange of letters and pictures at the time of placement but later did not follow through with their promise. The same birthmother gave birth to another daughter three years later and placed her for adoption. The family that adopted this little girl named Becca (B) kept in contact with the her birthmother as Becca was growing up. Becca even has a various pictures of her and her birthmother together from different times they had met over the past 15 years of her life.

At the age of 18, Abby - the first adopted daughter - decided that she wanted to find her birthmother and she began searching on MySpace and YouTube. Amazingly enough, instead of finding her birthmother she found Becca and was thrilled to have found a half sister. Becca shares pictures of their birthmother who she has been keeping in contact with ever since her placement 15 years ago.

When Abby saw that Becca has been keeping in touch with their birthmother, she questioned why their birthmother chose to keep in touch with Becca and not her. Abby was hurt that she did not have the same opportunity to keep in contact with her birthmother. It is unsure whether Abby ever spoke to her adoptive parents, Mr. and Mrs. Smith about why they chose not to keep their promise to her birthmother. This story reiterates the benefits of open adoption and the importance of adoptive parents keeping their promise to communicate with the birthmother, not just for her benefit but also for their child.

The story does not end here as Mr. and Mrs. Smith and Abby now have plans to reunite with Becca. We will keep you posted as the story continues.

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International Program Updates

VIETNAM Our license to work in Vietnam was renewed for another year on April 2, 2007. Many families have traveled and returned home with their children and we currently have 12 families waiting for signing dates. Our Executive Director Maxine Chalker and Vietnam Program Coordinator Heidi Gonzalez will be traveling to Vietnam in May to meet with officials and try to streamline the process in-country. They will be looking into branching out into different provinces and establishing contacts with new orphanages. Families should remember to send their commitment letters to the AFTH Wynnewood office when they are due. Three original copies are now needed.

CHINA - We are now past the 5/1/07 deadline for the submission of dossiers so all new families must meet the new China requirements. We would just like to remind everyone to please call one of our offices if you have questions about eligibility.

GUATEMALA - There have been no drastic changes with the Guatemala program at this time. We continue to receive referrals and are assigning them to families. Families are continuing to travel to bring home their children.

RUSSIA -In the last edition of Adoption News, AFTH happily reported having completed the first 2 placements in its new Russia Networking Program in December of 2006. Since the start of 2007, 5 more Russian children have been placed in the homes of AFTH families. Additionally, 8 other AFTH families have traveled to Russia within the past month to meet their children, and all look forward to bringing these children home in the near future. Of special note is that all of these families received the referral of their child within 4 months of completion of their adoption home study. AFTH continues to partner with Children of the World Adoption Agency, Inc. in placing Russian boys and girls as young as 12-36 months of age.

UKRAINE - AFTH has 15 families currently waiting for appointments to travel and one family scheduled to travel in May. It is anticipated that more appointments will be coming any day. The government of Ukraine is considering a new law that would mandate no more than 45 years age difference between parent and child and which would also eliminate adoption by single adoptive parents. At this point, the bill needs to go through two more processes to become law and it is uncertain that it will pass. The U.S. State Department has gotten confirmation that the age requirement would not be applied to adoptive parents who are already registered and the agency facilitators expect that singles who are already registered will also be "grandfathered" in if the new law is passed. Families who have adopted are reminded to file their annual reports with the Ukrainian Consulate. These are due on the 1st of the month of the anniversary of the adoption. If you have questions regarding post-placement requirements or the adoption process is Ukraine, contact Terry Petrone, the Ukraine Adoption Coordinator via e-mail at TerryP@afth.org or by phone at the Cherry Hill office..

LITHUANIA - AFTH is no longer accepting applications for Lithuania since the waiting time for children under 5 without special needs is so long. We have a family traveling in May and one other family waiting for referral. Families who are interested in children from Eastern Europe are encouraged to consider Ukraine and Russia since both of those programs move much faster than Lithuania and there are younger children available.

KAZAKHSTAN- Kazakhstan has been moving well. Ten families have traveled since January and it is expected that we will complete more adoptions by June than were completed the entire year last year. Although the travel is very long, families are reporting that Kazakhstan is a very interesting country to visit and, while they are anxious to come home with their babies, families traveling recently seem to be enjoying the travel. We continue to ask families who have completed adoptions to complete their post-placement at least one month before the due date to avoid negatively impacting families in process. Annual reports with photographs should be sent to Terry Petrone at the Cherry Hill office one month prior to the anniversary of the adoption court date. Any questions regarding post-placement reports or the Kazakhstan program can be directed to Terry Petrone via e-mail at TerryP@afth.org or by phone at the Cherry Hill office.

INDIA - As spring quickly approaches, AFTH is excited to announce the re-opening of our India program for Indian families seeking referals! In Spring 2006, the agency stopped accepting applications from families who needed referrals due to long waits and no new referrals being issued, making the adoption process virtually unbearable. Now, with two new orphanages to work with, AFTH looks forward to providing families with another option for international adoption.

Kala Lilani, an AFTH Adoption Specialist, returned from India in March of 2007 with the good news. Now, working with the Bal Bikas Mahila Mandal Orphanage in Latur, India, and the Matruchhaya Orphanage in Gujarat, India, hopeful families can look to adopt both boys and girls, ranging in age from young children to older toddlers. A few things to be aware of when applying to the India program: referrals can take between six month to one year, and one parent must be of Indian origin. Those families that wish to adopt from India and are not of Indian decent can adopt older school age children (age seven and up) as well as special needs children.

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AFTH Celebrates the Asian New Year

The 2007 AFTH Asian New Year party was once again a great success! Over 600 parents and children joined us in celebrating The Year of the Golden Pig at the Valley Forge Convention Center in February. With special performances by The Lee Ming Simplified Chinese School, partygoers enjoyed authentic Chinese dance and music while The Main Line Chinese School performed an impressive yo-yo demonstration, a fan dance, and the traditional lion dance that chased away evil and ushered in a year of good luck!

We would like to thank all the families who attend this event; it is you that makes it special. Gung Hay Fat Choy and Chuc Mung Nam Moi!

Virginia Celebrates the Year of The Pig!
The AFTH Virginia Office held their annual Asian New Year Celebration at Mr. Liu’s in Williamsburg, VA on Sunday, February 25. Over 110 people attended the event! Guests enjoyed Lion Dancers, a Karate demonstration, good food and great company!

We hope to see everyone in 2008 to celebrate the Year of the Rat - details will be coming shortly!

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Book Reviews

All reviewed books are available in our branch offices, online or you can order by calling Heidi Gonzalez in the Wynnewood office (610) 642-7200.

Families Like Mine Children of Gay Parents Tell it Like It Is by Abigail Garner - Using extensive research and interviews with some five dozen youths, Garner discusses many topics including: family changes, particularly divorces and same-sex break-ups; how kids with LGBT parents handle school; the concept of "straight family privilege" and straight kids in queer culture to name a few. She doesn't shy away from tough questions, and she doesn't believe that kids with gay parents grow up exactly like everyone else. Weaving into the book her own fears and experiences, Garner is able to clearly delineate many of the problems that members of a non-traditional family encounter. This book is tremendously readable; the contributions from the interviewees and the author's personal story were fascinating. Garner's ability to synthesize and explore this topic in such an accessible way is ground-breaking. This is not an old book about an old subject, but an excellent resource for anyone reaching out for understanding and guidance about growing up in an LGBT household. Retail price: $19.95 AFTH price: $20.00

The Post Adoption Blues by Karen J. Foli, Ph.D. and John Thompson, MD - Over 150,000 people adopt children each year, and more than 2 million parents are now raising adopted children. While the path to parenting through adoption is rich with rewards and fulfillment, it's not without its bumps. This compassionate, illuminating, and ultimately uplifting book is the first to openly recognize the very normal feelings of stress that adoptive families encounter as they cope with the challenges and expectations of their new families. The mission of The Post-Adoption Blues is to examine the challenges of adoption, and to alleviate feelings often experienced during and after the adoption process. By shedding light on Post-Adoption Depression Syndrome (PADS) through their own experience as adoptive parents as well as interviews with dozens of adoptive families and experts in the field, the couple offers parents the understanding, support, and concrete solutions they need to overcome post-adoption blues. Retail price: $14.95 AFTH price: $12.00

When I Met You - A Story of Russian Adoption - by Adrienne Ehlert Bashista - One of the first children's books about the Russian adoption experience. It tends to be focused towards girls since it is written from a mother to a daughter but while it is not an exact story for all adoptions, it is written with heartfelt words. Price: $17.00

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Virginia Office Activities

New Location - New Staff
The new address is:
1407 Stephanie Way, Suite H,
Chesapeake, VA 23320
VA Office welcomes Adoption Consultant Barbara Garrison (BarbaraG@afth.org), and Donna Banks (DonnaB@afth.org) to the AFTH team!

Annual AFTH Picnic!
Saturday, May 19th, 10am-2pm
Sandy Bottom Nature Park
Join the AFTH staff and families as we celebrate another year of building beautiful families! Bring your family, a blanket, and picnic lunch! AFTH will provide drinks, ice, paper products, and a grill! Enjoy the playground, nature center and trails, a scavenger hunt and prizes!

Birthmother’s Day Celebration!
Saturday, May 12 from 11am-1pm
Join us at our NEW Chesapeake Office to celebrate the very special Birthmother’s Day. Enjoy a luncheon and reconnect with AFTH families as we honor the women whose courage gave us the gift of family!
For more information call (757) 361-0008

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Adoptive Parent Activities

Camp FCC
(Families with Children from China)
Camp Ockanickon & Matollionequay
Medford, NJ June 15,16,17
Welcome to the 6th annual Camp FCC where children enjoy cultural and educational programs along with physical activities in a safe and nurturing environment. Parents and children, camping together, will explore Chinese culture and positive adoption awareness in a relaxed, natural setting. Register soon as programs sell out quickly! Call Lisa Stanwyck for more information (609)-405-1663 or email stanwyck@comcast.net

Harambee Parent Support Group
Every Third Saturday
3-5pm
Philadelphia, pa 19119
Considering adoption? Are you an adoptive parent? Are you searching for adoption related answers? Do you want to connect with other adoptive parents of African American children? Contact Group Leaders for more information: harambeeparents@yahoo.com or call Sylvia at (215) 457-5141

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